Benevento

Lore & Background

Benevento, as Maleventum, was one of the chief cities of Samnium, situated on the Appian Way. There is discrepancy as to the tribe to which it belonged: Pliny the Elder assigns it to the Hirpini, while Livy's wording is obscure and Ptolemy considers it Samnite proper. All ancient writers concur it was a very ancient city, with Solinus and Stephanus of Byzantium ascribing its foundation to Diomedes after the Trojan War; the inhabitants later pretended to exhibit the tusks of the Calydonian Boar as proof. Sextus Pompeius Festus related it was founded by Auson, son of Ulysses and Circe, indicating it was an ancient Ausonian city prior to Samnite conquest. It first appears in history as a Samnite city and fell into Roman hands during the Third Samnite War.

Reader's Guide

Benevento's significance lies in its long history from Samnite stronghold to Roman colony and later a UNESCO-recognized site. It was the site of decisive battles in the Second Punic War, including the Battle of Beneventum (214 BC) where Hanno was defeated, and another in 212 BC. Under the Roman Empire it became the chief city of the Hirpini, likely the most populous in southern Italy after Capua, due to its position on the Via Appia at the junction of the Via Traiana. The Arch of Trajan, erected in 114 by Apollodorus of Damascus, remains one of the best-preserved Roman structures in Campania. Its wealth is evidenced by coins minted there and repeated visits from emperors including Nero, Trajan, and Septimius Severus. The city was also the birthplace of grammarian Lucius Orbilius Pupillus.

Did You Know?

• The city was originally called Maleventum ('bad wind') and was renamed Beneventum ('good wind') by the Romans in 268 BC.
• The Arch of Trajan in Benevento was traditionally completed between 114 and 117 AD, though its design is often attributed to Apollodorus of Damascus without direct confirmation.
• The patron saint of Benevento is Saint Bartholomew, whose relics are kept at the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta.